Reactive Power Compensation at Industrial Consumers: Romanian Study Case

The paper presents the results obtained at the end of a study which aim was to answer the question: What is the best solution for reactive power compensation in the case of industrial consumers? Reactive power compensation is an action needed to improve the operation of ac power systems. In the case of industrial consumers, the main goal of reactive power compensation is to increase their electrical system’s power factor that will benefit them economically and technically. The study had as support a Romanian industrial consumer, more specifically its electrical circuits’ structure, electrical equipment, active and reactive consumption, and power quality indices values. The first step of the study was to create a Simulink/MATLAB model for the industrial consumer. The next step was to analyze different technologies and equipment dedicated to reactive power compensation and to simulate diverse situations. The analysis of the results regarding the values of power factor could determine the best solution for the case study. The outcomes of the study were as follows: the use of capacitor banks is the simpler one, but it is not the best in case of fluctuating loads. The other solutions that imply the use of power electronic devices mean continuity in the compensation.